Odisha protests coal block de-allocation

Bhubaneswar: Irked over de-allocation of another coal block, the Odisha government on Saturday said it would ask the Union Ministry of Mines to re-consider its decision.

The state government's reaction came after Centre de-allocated the Mandakini-B coal block allocated to the state owned Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC). Mandakini-B coal block has a reserve of 1200 million tonne in Angul district.

The Ministry of Mines de-allocated the coal block in favour of OMC and three others on the ground that there was no progress in utilisation.

Earlier, the ministry had deallocated the Utkal-D coal block given to OMC.

The Mandakini Coal Block was allocated to OMC along with state corporations of Assam, Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu way back in 2007.